curlew
English
A curlew
Etymology
From Middle English curlew, from Old French courlieu (see French courlis), claimed to be imitative of the bird's cry but apparently assimilated with dialectal *corliu (“runner, messenger”), a variant of coureur (the bird is adept at running).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkɜːlju/
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɜːlu/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɝlu/
Noun
curlew (plural curlews)
- Any of several migratory wading birds in the genus Numenius of the family Scolopacidae, remarkable for their long, slender, downcurved bills.
Derived terms
Derived terms
- bristle-thighed curlew, Numenius tahitiensis
- eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis
- Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis
- Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata
- little curlew, Numenius minutus
- long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus
- slender-billed curlew, Numenius tenuirostris
Translations
migratory wading bird
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Middle English
Etymology
From Old French courlieu.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kurˈliu̯/, /ˈkurliu̯/
Descendants
- English: curlew
References
- “curleu (n.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-09.
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